Funds needed for Amupitiya N.S., Udispathuwa to play cricket

by S.M. Jiffrey ABDEEN Kandy Sports Corr.

CRICKET: The game of cricket has taken deep root in the foothills of the famous Knuckles Range where Amupitiya National School, Udispathuwa in the Rangala area has taken to the game quite recently and the boys have acquitted themselves adequately in the first year itself.

This school lies close to the Knuckles Range and no school in the area has ever played the game, except watching on television or playing a little softball cricket on the roads. There is no playground in the area and a little deeper into the area takes one into the virgin jungles where there is plenty of fauna and flora which is indigenous to Sri Lanka.

It all started this way. One day the former Vidyartha College cricketer Sam Gunaratne who has a small hotel in Rangala was driving along when he saw some boys playing cricket on the road. They showed exceptional talent on their own. He thought if he could only persuade them to play hard ball cricket, the school could field a leather ball cricket team.

But there was no playground. The children were from low income families and they travelled to school from far off places, often trudging many miles on foot to board a bus. One of the children said that if he misses the 6 am bus, the next bus if at all it turns up is at 10 am.

Likewise in the afternoon too, the same problem persists. If they miss the bus, they will have to walk their way back home in the silence of darkness. Sam Gunaratne who plays a little club cricket in Buckinghamshire in England and who is a reputed golfer at Victoria too toyed with the idea before deciding to take the fling.

He had to start everything from scratch and the finances had to be found in an era even the urban schools are finding it difficult to play the game.

Sam Gunaratne wanted to share his success in business with the children of the area and got the support of the Principal of the school Gamini Kulathunga and a member of the staff Saman Kumara who later became the master-in-charge.

Sam Gunaratne, having collected the boys, first constructed a cement wicket in the volleyball court of the school and equipped it with nets using his own money.

He next purchased the cricket materials using his own money partly and also getting some assistance from his friends. Thus a start was made. Sam Gunaratne’s services were of course honorary as the school has no funds to spend on an elite game like cricket.

It was a great day for the school when the matting was brought and the wicket was opened. The ground was so small, a cover drive could result in the ball getting lost in the shrub jungle.

Encouraging success

But despite all these difficulties, Amupitiya National School entered the schools under 15 cricket tournament and had achieved a reasonable amount of success. They have to travel 35 miles to Kandy to play their home matches as that is the closest place where there is a cricket ground. Times are difficult but yet they have the grit and determination. They look to some benefactor to help them out to continue playing the game.

The cricket team is led by Ruwan Chamara Madhusanka Ranaweera - a good all-rounder. He bowls off-spinners and is also a hard hitting bat. Mohamed Ashroff a slow medium-pacer and a stubborn bat is the vice-captain of the side.

The rest of the pool Madusanka Ranaweera (captain), Mohamed Ashroff (vice-captain), Lahiru Tillakaratne, Susantha Wickremaratne, Dhanushka Bandara, Tharindu Dananjaya, Madusanka Niroshan, Viraj Chinthaka, Lahiru Pradeep, Amila Ranatunga, Pradeep Kumara, Ruwan Manjula, Hashan Ariyatillake, Kaushalya Jayakody, Kelum Madusanka, Chandima Dissanayake, Isuru Rajapskae, Manjula Ranasinghe.

There are around 20 boys who attend practices and what makes them carry the game forward is their keenness to play this game. The school needs finances to continue the game and the authorities hope and somewhat pray that there will be some persons will come their way to help them out.